1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a photography device and photography method that acquire image information representing a subject image by photography.
2. Description of the Related Art
Heretofore, it has been proposed that cameras be provided with magnifying zoom functions, which magnify subject images that are photographed. In recent years, installation of high magnification zoom functions even in compact cameras has been desired.
When photography is performed using a high magnification zoom function, there is a large difference between the viewing angle to be photographed and a person's own field of view. Consequently, determining a viewing angle, a photograph composition and the like may be difficult. Thus, in an image obtained with high magnification zoom, if the user's composition technique or movement is even slightly misplaced, the viewing angle and composition are greatly misplaced.
Previously, as a technology for facilitating the determination of an image composition, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 2001-211360 has described that, with the viewfinder of a video camera that is photographing a moving image, a viewing angle wider than the viewing angle that is being photographed is imaged, and display of a viewing angle range that includes the viewing angle range to be photographed and that is wider than this viewing angle is enabled, in order to enable verification of conditions at the outside of the viewing angle being photographed.
Similarly, JP-A No. 7-336569 has described that, when a moving image is being photographed, an optical zoom range of a zoom lens is divided into two or more steps, the optical zoom and an electronic zoom are alternately operated, and when a viewing angle switching switch is operated, only a viewfinder screen returns to a wide-angle display.
Furthermore, JP-A No. 5-130481 has described limiting a zoom magnification in accordance with an image shake ratio, in order to prevent image shake that exceeds an image shake correction range from occurring during photography.
However, the technologies of JP-A Nos. 2001-211360, 7-336569 and 5-130481 have a problem, are not being able to respond to a case of a large displacement from a subject image that is to be photographed.
That is, in a case of a large displacement from the subject image that is to be photographed, it is necessary for a photographer to carry out operations of temporarily lowering the zoom ratio until the subject image that is to be photographed re-enters a range in which photography is possible, identifying the subject image that is to be photographed, and then increasing the zoom ratio again.